Chapter Thirty-Two: Infiltration (Fourth Update)

After the final notice was delivered to everyone in the prison, the news brought by the outsider sparked a new hope among them.

Some of the elderly and children, eager for a better environment, were willing to risk venturing there for a try. That night, after a discussion, it was decided that the next day An Yi and Xiao Han would escort them, with all able-bodied men except Wu Jue tasked with protection, transferring most people first. Only Wu Jue and Xiao Yang would stay behind to handle remaining matters.

Before departure, Wu Jue gave special instructions to An Yi and Xiao Han: upon reaching the town, act according to circumstances, and contact them immediately if anything goes wrong; Wu Jue would rush over to assist. An Yi assured him, so they set off separately.

Wu Jue and Xiao Yang remained, moving into the factory to focus on their final efforts. Xiao Yang explained that, with power and networks being destroyed worldwide, the only way to reach other regions was to infiltrate the Heavenly Punishment Clan’s system.

Wu Jue said, “Prepare as needed and send out a message. Let’s declare that we’ll stand against the Heavenly Punishment Clan to the end and try to connect survivors from across the globe, so everyone can unite.”

Xiao Yang laughed, “That’s a big move. If things escalate, we’ll become their targets. But it’s fine; sooner or later, we’ll have to confront them. No need to hide.”

Wu Jue frowned, “I only worry about Desai, the escaped Luo Si, and Ghost Face. Who knows when they’ll return? If possible, I’d like to go around the city again, see if there’s any useful information.”

Xiao Yang said, “Go ahead, Master, and we’ll stay in contact. Don’t worry about me, I’ve got armor and can escape anytime. It’s a pity we can’t take these instruments with us.”

Wu Jue patted him, “Sometimes, you have to learn to let go.”

Leaving the prison gates, Wu Jue mounted Xiao Han’s battered electric bike. Though he hadn’t mastered it yet, he managed a wobbly ride through the city. He gradually adapted to the speed, circling the city, revisiting many places he’d passed before.

The supermarket where he once hauled supplies was now utterly ruined, with only a few zombies still inside scavenging for food. Wu Jue dispatched them casually and moved on.

Soon, he arrived at the underground vault where he had once hidden. Last time, Desai had severely damaged it; it was now entirely uninhabitable. He wondered what Desai had been up to since escaping—perhaps still plotting against him in secret.

He spent half the day circling most of the city, stopping at a few stores to search for bread and mineral water to fill his stomach. Taking things without asking would have been a crime in the past, but Wu Jue had long since come to terms with it.

In the apocalypse, survival comes first—only then can one fight the terrifying Heavenly Punishment Clan. Perhaps one day, Wu Jue would return to secular life out of necessity.

Lost in thought, he suddenly sensed a tremendous commotion in the city center—a massive fortress-like structure was descending from the sky. With a thunderous roar, it landed, sending violent shockwaves even to Wu Jue’s location, leaving him stunned.

Huron’s memories warned him: this was the Heavenly Punishment Clan’s battle fortress, deployed only for formidable enemies or national targets.

He quickly found a concealed spot to hide. He hadn’t expected the Heavenly Punishment Clan to make such a grand entrance. He immediately contacted Xiao Yang to report his discovery.

Xiao Yang, already aware of the city’s situation, replied, “Looks like the enemy is serious now. I need to shut down most of the network systems here to avoid detection. Master, what’s your plan?”

Wu Jue pondered, “I want to go in and take a look. If you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you catch its cub?”

Xiao Yang paused, then said, “Alright. Let’s meet in half an hour near the fortress at Jinye Tower. That building belongs to my family—it’s convenient for action. I also want to get inside the fortress, see if I can infiltrate their system and plant a backdoor for future operations.”

They agreed and began to act. Wu Jue moved forward stealthily, finally nearing the fortress. Mutated beasts were already prowling ahead, seemingly patrolling and eliminating intruders.

He witnessed these monsters firsthand—brutal and ferocious, attacking even mutated zombies without hesitation. In his mind, Huron explained, “They’re devouring lower-tier life forms to evolve. Watch—the beasts that consume zombies will become stronger, and surviving zombies will be promoted as more powerful Heavenly Punishment Clan warriors.”

Wu Jue’s expression darkened; the situation was dire. He avoided detection as much as possible, taking a detour toward Jin Guang Tower, warning Xiao Yang to beware of the monsters.

He finally arrived beneath the tower, slipped in through a rear window, and was relieved to find it empty. Wu Jue carefully inspected the area, found a spot near the door, sat cross-legged, and signaled Xiao Yang, awaiting his arrival.

After ten minutes, Xiao Yang’s desperate voice came through the earpiece: he was at the tower entrance, attacked by two mutant dogs and unable to get in.

Wu Jue sprang up and rushed out. Sure enough, two vicious wolf dogs were gnawing at Xiao Yang’s armor. Fortunately, the armor held firm; otherwise, Xiao Yang would have suffered severely.

Wu Jue leapt forward, striking their eyes with pinpoint precision, bursting them instantly. The monsters howled and released their grip, writhing on the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Yang drew his blade from the armor and swiftly slit their throats, finishing them off.

They returned to the tower, hid themselves, and began to strategize. Xiao Yang used binoculars to observe the fortress ahead, saying, “The commotion earlier will soon be noticed by the enemy. We can’t waste time—we have to get in now.”

Wu Jue said, “I’ll cover you. I’ll break in head-on, and you try to sneak in from the side. If you can’t make it, signal me and we’ll retreat. Don’t force it.”

Xiao Yang nodded, and they split up. Wu Jue darted out with astonishing speed, grabbing the two dead dogs and hurling them against the fortress wall. The loud bangs drew attention.

A camera-like device emerged, scanning Wu Jue to identify the intruder.

A mechanical voice reported, “Unknown low-level life form, suspected time traveler from over three hundred years ago, target possesses high combat ability—recommend biochemical attack.”

The hatch opened, and a green-smoke-emitting humanoid monster lunged at Wu Jue.

Wu Jue had no intention of fighting directly. He drew his machine gun, firing a burst that split in midair, striking multiple targets.

First, he destroyed the camera. Then, two bullets hit the monster’s eyes, temporarily blinding it. The last three bullets struck the open hatch, breaking it so it couldn’t close.

Wu Jue, moving with incredible speed, slipped past the monster and dashed inside, pressing forward.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yang’s voice came through the earpiece: he’d reached the back of the fortress and was preparing to sneak in, soon to meet up.

Inside the fortress, Wu Jue proceeded cautiously, quickly encountering its intricate structures—Heavenly Punishment Clan’s advanced biochemical technology was indeed remarkable.

Without Huron’s guidance to alert him to traps and ambushes, Wu Jue doubted he could penetrate so deeply.

Overall, the fortress was like a small castle, with corridors connecting dozens of rooms.

Each room contained warriors of various evolutionary levels, breeds that had advanced through massive viral infections.

Some species Wu Jue recognized from Earth, others were bizarre and unfamiliar—he watched the entire process, utterly spellbound.